French company says its system approach is safer and easier to use

Mavic’s system approach design to road tubeless is claimed to be safer and easier to use.

The folks at Mavic are a cautious bunch. Despite being the co-inventors of the original UST (universal system tubeless) for mountain biking back in the late 1990s, they’re just now jumping into the road tubeless fray. Today, the French company launched a complete line of road UST wheels that includes both carbon and aluminum models of Comete, Cosmic, Ksyrium, and Allroad models.

Use of a Kevlar bead is claimed to help ease tire installation and removal because a Kevlar tire bead is more pliable than the standard carbon bead of other tubeless tires on the market.

Mavic’s elevator pitch is that UST is the only standard in road tubeless that considers both the rim and tire as a system. This system approach is something they’ve been pushing for a while in both mountain and road applications. “It’s not just a rim, a wheel, or tire considered alone, but the match between precisely manufactured tire beads (stiffness and diameter) and rim contour,” reads the associated PR material.

Mavic has a rep for relentless testing.

This, Mavic claims, creates the easiest and safest road tubeless design on the market because it begins with a rim contour that follows exacting dimensions to achieve beadlock and the ability to run flat, in addition to providing consistent tire inflation.”

This precise rim profile is combined with Mavic’s Yksion Pro UST tire, creating a system that ensures tight control of production tolerances and a 100% match of rim and tire. It also helps ease tire installation and removal because a Kevlar tire bead is more pliable than the standard carbon bead of other tubeless tires on the market. This allows for a tool-free process that can be inflated by a standard floor pump.

Mavic also claims that overall its UST system (including sealant) is 40g lighter than a traditional tire and tube system.

And whatever tubeless system you choose, no tube means no friction with the tire resulting in faster rolling. According to Mavic, at equal pressure, removing the tube lowers rolling resistance by 15%. And with 15 PSI removed, the tubeless tire still rolls 5% faster than the tube-type set up, yet results in a more comfortable ride.

The Comete Pro Carbon SL will run $1799 and has a claimed weight of 1635 grams.

Highlights of the new Yksion Pro UST tire include use of a new rubber compound that balances grip and low rolling resistance. And as mentioned before, the Kevlar beads are more pliable than the smaller diameter and stiffer carbon beads of other road tubeless tires, allowing for a more user-friendly experience. The new tires are available in 25c and 28c widths.

The Allroad Pro will run $1099 and has a claimed weight of 1660 grams.

Here’s a complete rundown of the new wheel line-up along with pricing and expected availability.

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